Newcastle notes: The unsung hero, Dan Burn moment fans missed and next challenge

Newcastle United picked up their third win in a row in the Premier League for the first time since 2018 when Rafa Benitez guided the team to a great run.

The Magpies now have a week to recover but their next challenge will be whether they can make it four victories on the spin, again for the first time in four years.

The last time that happened was also under Rafa when United beat Southampton, Huddersfield, Leicester and Arsenal over the space of five weeks with that particular run all but securing Premier League status.

United now travel to West Ham and go in against a Hammers outfit fighting for a place in the Champions League no less.

Four successive wins won't be enough to stave off the threat of the drop but if Newcastle find themselves sitting on 24 points next Saturday night with 14 matches to play few will argue they will go on to stay up after their worst start ever in the Premier League.

Things were looking very different for Eddie Howe and his players just three games ago at St James' Park.

Back then Newcastle were sat in second bottom spot and locked in what looked like an intense four team battle for one survival place.

But three wins in a row have transformed the situation at the bottom for Howe and co who now find themselves within swinging distance of those just outside of the top 10.

Howe stressed why it was important not to get too carried away, especially with a difficult trip to West Ham around the corner, but bearing in mind Norwich travel to Liverpool next weekend and Watford take on a wounded Villa, victory could in the capital could see the bottom three cut adrift from the Magpies.

Then it could well be a case of: "Crisis, what crisis?"

Others may have got the plaudits from pundits and journalists